Model 93 Takedown

Oldmodel70 · Post by **Oldmodel70** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:56 pm

Buying an 1893 lever action Marlin from an old couple........Octagon barrel, crescent butt, take-down, 30-30, "Special Smokeless Steel", lot's of blue on barrel, action mostly silver-gray, with some casecolor?, very good bore, lot's of original varnish, no cracks in buttstock, or forend............Been in the same family since new.........Shot it's last deer 45 years ago. Been stored well ever since. Now the bad news........None, except a police identification number engraved on bottom of action. These are good people, and I want to be absolutely fair with them.......My local collector frowns on the indentification number.........Says to subtract 300 to 400 bucks from the price. The old couple thinks the police number enhances the value............Where should I go with this? I want to take the rifle home, play with it, shoot it, and then sell it for a modest profit. Thanks for any guidance..............Grant.

Sure-Shot · Post by **Sure-Shot** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:50 pm

I think the only way the number could enhance the value is if it showed someone famous or infamous had owned it. Otherwise I would treat it like someone etching their drivers license in it. How much it devalues the rifle is up to you.

jorgy · Post by **jorgy** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:05 am

If it is lightly engraved it can be buffed out. I had a Marlin with somebody's social security number engraved on the lower tang.
I took it to a gunsmith & he buffed it out & applied some touch up
bluing. Now you never tell it was engraved with a number at one time.
My personal opinion is a number engraved on a gun detracts from the
value. It is an alteration from the way the gun left the factory.